Frm minister Gabriel Sandu escapes criminal trial in Microsoft case, due to statute of limitations

A five-judge panel of the High Court of Cassation and Justice issued the final ruling on Monday on the termination of the criminal proceedings, on account of the statute of limitations, against Gabriel Sandu, former Minister of Communications and Information Society, in connection with the offence of money laundering in one of the Microsoft licensing case.

The High Court of Cassation and Justice rejected the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA)'s appeal and upheld the decision to terminate the trial, made in December 2022 by a panel of three judges of the same court, which enforced two Constitutional Court decisions on the statute of limitations.

According to DNA, in 2009, Gabriel Sandu, as minister, allegedly demanded and received from two businessmen the amount of 2,196,035 euros in order to make the necessary arrangements for their companies to conclude a rental rights license from Microsoft with the Romanian Government.AGERPRES